DOT plans to take over Union Station in D.C.; FEMA employees placed on leave after open letter
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Protesters drowned out Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, at a ribbon-cutting event in her state.
Highlights from Aug. 27, 2025
- UNION STATION TAKEOVER: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that his department plans to take over management of D.C.'s central transportation hub, Union Station.
- FEMA EMPLOYEES: Nearly two dozen Federal Emergency Management Agency employees were placed on administrative leave after they signed an open letter criticizing the Trump administration’s disaster preparedness and response capabilities, the head of the group that organized the letter confirmed to NBC News.
- SUSAN COLLINS HECKLED: Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was drowned out at times by a group of protesters shouting "Shame! Shame! Shame!" during a ribbon-cutting event in Searsport.
- GAZA MEETING: President Donald Trump is holding a meeting at the White House on resolving the conflict in Gaza, his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said last night. The meeting is not on Trump's public schedule.
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Mayor Muriel Bowser says Trump’s surge of federal law enforcement has lowered crime in D.C.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser today credited Trump’s directed surge of federal law enforcement with lowering crime in the nation’s capital but made it clear that the presence of immigration agents and National Guard troops is “not working.”
Bowser conveyed her ambivalent view of the administration’s federalization of D.C. in a situational update on progress made since Trump announced efforts on Aug. 7 to combat crime in the city. On one hand, she communicated that the changes have resulted in less crime, but on the other, she expressed deep concern about residents’ “living in fear.”
“We greatly appreciate the surge of officers that enhance what MPD has been able to do in this city,” Bowser, a Democrat, told reporters about the expansion of federal law enforcement and its partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department.
Carjackings, she said, were the “most troubling” crime that plagued D.C. in 2023, and they have decreased in recent years. Bowser said that in the 20 days since the federal takeover, there has been an 87% drop in carjackings compared with the same period last year. The data cited also showed a 15% fall in crime overall in the district during that period in the last year.
Grand jury declines to indict man who threw a sandwich at federal officer in D.C.
You could get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich, the saying goes, but, in Washington, a federal grand jury just declined to indict a man for throwing a salami sub.
The grand jury did not return an indictment against a former Justice Department employee who was seen on camera throwing a hoagie at the chest of one of the federal officers Trump has deployed in the nation’s capital, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The grand jury’s decision not to indict Sean Dunn is another sign of pushback from Washington residents over Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and other federal law enforcement agencies in the city, who have put a particular focus on immigration enforcement. The New York Times was first to report the news.
The incident took place Aug. 10 at the corner of 14th and U streets NW, in the heart of the U Street corridor, a neighborhood that played a historic role in the civil rights era and is now a nightlife hotspot.
FEMA employees placed on leave after criticizing administration
At least 21 Federal Emergency Management Agency employees have been put on administrative leave after they signed an open letter criticizing the Trump administration’s disaster preparedness and response capabilities, the founder of the organization behind the letter confirmed to NBC News.
Colette Delawalla, who is also the executive director of the group, Stand Up for Science, said today that two of the employees were working in Kerr County, Texas, on the ongoing response to the devastating floods in July when they learned they were placed on leave.
The letter, which began by emphasizing the overhaul of FEMA after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, was signed by nearly 200 of the agency’s employees, about three dozen of whom used their names. It said the agency’s “current trajectory” under Trump “reflects a clear departure” from the intent of the post-Katrina overhaul, adding they meant to “sound the alarm” to their superiors at the agency, Congress and the public.
Sen. Susan Collins heckled by protesters at Maine ribbon-cutting event
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was heckled and drowned out by demonstrators at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in her home state yesterday, the latest in a series of confrontations between protesters and members of Congress.
“Shame! Shame! Shame!” protesters yelled at Collins as she cut the ribbon to mark the completion of the long-running Route 1 construction project in Searsport.
The demonstrators yelled about cuts to Medicare, Israeli attacks on Gaza and Trump’s nominees to the Supreme Court, video of the event shows.
“Could you please just listen, for just one ...” Collins said at one point, before she was again interrupted.
Researcher who distorted voter data appointed to Homeland Security election integrity role
A conservative election researcher whose faulty findings on voter data Trump cited as he tried to overturn his 2020 election loss has been appointed to an election integrity role at the Department of Homeland Security.
Pennsylvania activist Heather Honey is now the deputy assistant secretary for election integrity in the department’s Office of Strategy, Policy and Plans, an organizational chart on its website shows.
The political appointment, first reported by Democracy Docket, shows how self-styled election investigators who have thrown themselves into election conspiracy theories since 2020 are being celebrated by a presidential administration that indulges their false claims.
Federal prosecutors seek 7-year sentence for Nadine Menendez
Federal prosecutors want the wife of former Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., to serve at least seven years in federal prison for her role in the wide-ranging "gold bar" bribery scheme.
Prosecutors argued in their court filing that Nadine Menendez deserved significant prison time because she knowingly joined her husband in helping to orchestrate the illegal payoffs.
“The Government considers the defendant, who played a critical role at the heart of the scheme, to be the second most culpable member of the scheme second only to [Bob] Menendez," federal prosecutors wrote in their 58-page sentencing memorandum.
Federal prosecutors said Nadine Menendez’s sentence should be about as long as the sentences for the two businessmen who were convicted at trial for paying the bribes. Developer Fred Daibes was sentenced to seven years. Businessman Wael Hana was sentenced to eight years.
Prosecutors said Nadine Menendez helped to sell the power of Bob Menendez in exchange for thousands of dollars in bribes, including cash, gold bars, paychecks for a no-show job and a Mercedes-Benz convertible.
“The defendant engaged, for years, in a corruption and foreign influence scheme of stunning brazenness, breadth, and duration, resulting in exceptionally grave abuses of power at the highest levels of the Legislative Branch of the United States Government," prosecutors said.
Lawyers for Nadine Menendez last week requested a sentence of one year and a day. Her husband wrote a letter to the judge saying he regrets that his wife was painted as “money hungry” during his separate bribery trial.
“I regret that I didn’t fully preview what my Defense Attorney said about Nadine during my trial and in his summation. To suggest that Nadine was money hungry or in financial need, and therefore would solicit others for help, is simply wrong,” he wrote.
Bob Menendez is serving an 11-year sentence at the federal prison in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Nadine Menendez is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 11.
Indiana GOP state Senate leader says redistricting was discussed at White House meeting
Indiana's Republican state Senate president pro tempore, Rodric Bray, acknowledged in a statement that redistricting was a topic of discussion at a meeting between Indiana Republicans and White House officials yesterday.
“My colleagues and I are grateful for the opportunity to meet with White House officials, and all in all, I would consider the event extremely productive," Bray said in a statement today. "While redistricting did come up and members were able to ask questions, we spent the bulk of our afternoon discussing issues like energy, immigration and preventing waste and fraud in government.”
Indiana Republicans have signaled that they are exploring mid-cycle redistricting that could help the GOP gain safe seats in the state.
Vice President JD Vance visited Indiana this month to meet with GOP Gov. Mike Braun and other Indiana GOP officials, though Braun has still not conclusively said whether he and other state leaders will move to redraw congressional maps before the next census.
White House says 84 people were arrested in D.C. last night
A White House official said 84 people were arrested in D.C. last night, 40 of whom were undocumented immigrants.
The official said the 40 undocumented immigrants "had multiple convictions for assault, prior criminal arrest for DUI, assaulting a law enforcement officer, prior criminal arrests for controlled dangerous substances with intent to distribute, prior immigration encounters, and one has been deemed special interest alien."
Other arrests were the results of assault on a police officer, carrying a pistol without a license and being a felon in possession, as well as warrants for theft and failure to appear because of domestic violence assault, the official said.
The official said 1,170 people have been arrested since Trump’s announcement federalizing D.C. on Aug. 7.
Trump says George and Alex Soros should be charged with racketeering
Trump said on Truth Social this morning that billionaire philanthropist George Soros and his son Alex Soros should be charged with racketeering.
"George Soros, and his wonderful Radical Left son, should be charged with RICO because of their support of Violent Protests, and much more, all throughout the United States of America," Trump wrote.
"We’re not going to allow these lunatics to rip apart America any more, never giving it so much as a chance to 'BREATHE,' and be FREE," he continued."
It's unclear what protests Trump, who has repeatedly attacked the Soros family, was referring to or what prompted his post. Republicans have long attacked Soros for providing donations to various groups that have gotten involved in civic protests.
A spokesperson for Open Society Foundations, which George Soros founded and where Alex Soros is chair of the board, said the accusations were "outrageous and false."
"The Open Society Foundations do not support or fund violent protests. Our mission is to advance human rights, justice, and democratic principles at home and around the world," the spokesperson said. "We stand for fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, including the rights to free speech and peaceful protest that are hallmarks of any vibrant democracy."
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff says Trump will hold a meeting today on Gaza's future
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said last night that Trump is expected to hold a "large meeting" at the White House today focused on the future of Gaza.
Witkoff said in an interview on Fox News that the meeting will be "chaired by the president."
"It’s a very comprehensive plan we’re putting together on the ‘next day’ that I think many people are going to be — they’re going to see how robust it is and how it’s, how well-meaning it is, and it reflects President Trump’s humanitarian motives," he said.
The meeting isn't on Trump's public schedule, which shows only that he has a scheduled lunch with Vice President JD Vance. The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, Israeli demonstrators have been protesting the situation in Gaza, calling for the war to end and for Hamas to release the remaining hostages.
"We think that we’re going to settle this one way or another, certainly before the end of this year," Witkoff said on Fox News. "Hamas is now signaling that they’re open to a settlement. We’ve suggested, by the way, that Hamas can begin by feeding the hostages, by giving them medical attention, by letting the Red Cross in, by doing the humane thing. The president is a humanitarian. That’s what he wants to see."
Top Fed official says Lisa Cook has always approached her work with 'integrity'
John Williams, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, said the Fed governor that President Trump is seeking to fire has "always brought integrity and a commitment to the Federal Reserve's mission" to her work at the central bank.
Speaking on CNBC, Williams said Cook is "a very esteemed, highly respected economist" and noted that it was important for the Fed to maintain its independence.
The only reason a Fed governor can be fired is "for cause," which typically means some kind of wrongdoing. Cook has not been charged with any crime and has said she is “gathering the accurate information” about her financial history. Cook's lawyer said she will soon file a lawsuit to challenge Trump's plan to remove her.
Cyberattack shuts down Nevada state offices for two days, governor’s office says
A cyberattack caused Nevada’s state offices to close for two days this week and rendered some state websites and phone lines unavailable, the governor’s office said Tuesday.
Agencies will announce when their counters will reopen for in-person services, according to the technology office of Gov. Joe Lombardo, whose website was among those disabled.
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to halt billions in foreign aid payments
Trump’s administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday to intervene in its efforts to withhold billions of dollars from foreign aid organizations and lift an injunction that is forcing it to keep making payments.
The U.S. Department of Justice, in an emergency filing with the 6-3 conservative majority court, noted that a 2-1 panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit earlier this month ruled the injunction should be overturned.
Russian troops enter key Ukrainian region as Trump envoy says talks are ongoing
Russian troops have for the first time entered a key Ukrainian region, Kyiv’s military said today, as President Donald Trump’s special envoy offered new details on the Kremlin’s demands and stressed that the U.S. peace push remained on track.
A small number of Moscow’s forces had crossed into the Dnipropetrovsk region and entered two villages, the Ukrainian military confirmed to NBC News, though it denied they had gained a stable foothold in the central region.
Hard-right Freedom Caucus could be gutted as key members run for new jobs in 2026
The House Freedom Caucus faces an existential moment with some of its most prominent members eyeing the exits for new jobs in the 2026 election, calling into question the future of the band of far-right rebels.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, the group’s thought leader and most outspoken lawmaker, is running for state attorney general.
Barry Moore, R-Ala., is running for the Senate.
Ralph Norman, R-S.C.; Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.; and Byron Donalds, R-Fla., are all running for governor. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., is considering running for governor. And yet others facing tough re-elections or redistricting threats could be gone by the end of next year.
Transportation Department plans to take over D.C.'s Union Station
The Trump administration is planning to take over the management of D.C.'s Union Station, the travel hub for Amtrak and the city's metro lines.
The announcement from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy comes just over a year after Amtrak took over management and operations for the station.
"Instead of being a point of pride, Washington’s Union Station has fallen into disrepair," Duffy said in a statement announcing the move. "By reclaiming station management, we will help make this city safe and beautiful at a fraction of the cost."
The department's press release said Union Station needs "improvements to elevators, lighting, and security along with enhancements to the passenger experience and replacing the roof and other major systems."
The press release also referred to the station's "potential expansion."
Denmark summons top U.S. diplomat over Greenland influence operations
Denmark’s foreign minister had the top U.S. diplomat in the country summoned for talks after the main national broadcaster reported today that at least three people with connections to Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in Greenland.
Trump has repeatedly said he seeks U.S. jurisdiction over Greenland, a vast, semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. He has not ruled out military force to take control of the mineral-rich, strategically located Arctic island.
Democrats prepare to set their 2028 presidential nominating calendar
Democrats are already looking to assemble their early-state presidential nominating calendar for 2028, with the party announcing yesterday that it would kick off the process in September.
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said at the DNC’s summer meeting here that he aimed to have clarity about the order of the first primaries well ahead of the campaign.
“We’re planning for meetings throughout the fall and winter and through the spring to make sure that we have a rigorous, effective and fair calendar process,” Martin said. “We need this process to give us the strongest possible candidate, a candidate that’s battle-tested to win and ready to lead America forward.”
Democrats break GOP supermajority in Iowa Senate by flipping Republican seat in special election
Iowa Democrats scored a significant victory yesterday by flipping a Republican seat in a special election and breaking the GOP supermajority in the state Senate.
Catelin Drey won the Sioux City-area district with 55% of the vote to Republican opponent Christopher Prosch’s 44%, according to unofficial results with all precincts reporting.
Democrats will now hold 17 seats in the Senate, compared with 33 for Republicans, breaking the GOP’s two-thirds supermajority.
Trump hits India with punishing 50% tariffs for buying Russian oil
Trump‘s promised 50% tariffs on India took effect today, as the U.S. risks blowing up a relationship considered crucial in its effort to counter the rise of China.
Trump started the tariff rate at 25% but doubled it earlier this month as punishment for India buying Russian oil, making it one of the highest of the many tariffs imposed during Trump’s ongoing global trade war.
